Movie Reaction: Moana

Formula: (The Good Dinosaur - The Lion King) + Wind Waker*
*I can't think of any non-Waterworld movies that used boats this much.

So, I really liked Moana. I'd like to get more complex or high-minded about it, but the simple truth is that I saw Moana and really liked it. When paired with Zootopia, it makes for an awful good outing for Disney in 2016. Zootopia is clever. Moana is pretty. Both are a lot of fun.

The story is set in a fictional Polynesian island. Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) is the daughter of the island's chief and being groomed to be chief herself eventually. Her grandma tells her of an ancient curse that is slowly killing their island. The only way to stop this is to recruit the shape shifting demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to return the heart of the island god Te Fiti, which Maui stole long ago. In other words. Moana goes on a quest. There's obstacles. She's proves her mettle. It's pretty standard stuff, but like many Disney films before it, it zips along quickly and in entertaining fashion.

The film looks great. The water effects are impressive. The songs are catchy and evocative of the 90's Renaissance music. It's funny. It's harrowing. It's really everything I need and want from a Disney animated movie.

It's not much more than that though, which is the closest thing I have to a negative criticism. It does new things (Moana is the first Polynesian Disney princess and there is absolutely no mention made of a love interest), but the story is very traditional. It's essentially what The Good Dinosaur wanted to be: a basic point A to point B quest with a fully fleshed out world. Both Moana and Maui get good character arcs and the film left me feeling really good. What more could I ask for?

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend